From the German patent document DE 727 196 it is of known art to construct aircraft fuselages from a multiplicity of fuselage barrels. Adjacent fuselage barrels are connected with one another in the transverse joint region and thereby form a riveted overlap joint with their edge sections. As a result of production, i.e. component, tolerances a radial gap can occur between the overlapping edge sections, at least in some sections. In the case of fuselages of a metal form of construction these gaps can be closed by means of an appropriate deformation of the edge sections during the riveting process. After drilling the fuselage barrels must be separated once again for purposes of cleaning the rivet holes and overlapping surfaces, as a result of which the assembly process becomes protracted. Furthermore a large number of connecting elements, in particular, rivets and stringer couplings, are required; this also has a disadvantageous effect on the assembly process.
The tolerance differences between the fuselage barrels are particularly problematical in the case of carbon fibre reinforced fuselages (CFRP fuselages) since these can hardly be allowed to deform at all. Component tolerances must thus be compensated by means of a filler in the gaps. Accurate metering and accurate positioning of the filler is, however, very difficult and time-intensive because of the limited accessibility, since, in particular during the manufacture of the overlap joint, the filler can flow out, or can be displaced as a result of shearing during the assembly process.
U.S. 2006/0060705 A1 alternatively envisages positioning CFRP fuselage barrels adjacent to one another and riveting their adjacent edge sections by means of a transverse joint strap. However, in this solution of known art the compensation of tolerances between the fuselage barrels by means of accurate metering and positioning of the filler is also critical. Here too during the assembly of the fuselage barrels rivet holes in the transverse joint strap and the fuselage barrels must similarly be cleaned in a laborious and time-intensive manner. Likewise a multiplicity of connecting elements are required, which, by virtue of the specific material properties associated with CFRPs, are particularly disadvantageous.
In contrast, the object of the present invention consists in creating a method for the manufacture of an aircraft fuselage that removes the above-cited disadvantages and renders the compensation of tolerances between fuselage barrels to be connected essentially superfluous, and also an aircraft fuselage manufactured in this manner.